Jakarta – The Indonesian Labour Struggle National Front (FNPBI) is of the opinion that the government has yet to side with laborers, the Indonesian news agency Antara reported.

In a demonstration launched at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle here Monday, 150 FNPBI members rejected the low-wage policy and the elimination of subsidies for the people, including fuel subsidy.

The government had implemented a neo-liberal economic policy, which allowed advanced countries to dominate the Indonesian market without siding with the laborers, according to FNPBI Secretary General Budi Wardoyo.

Wardoyo argued that the low-wage policy currently implemented by the government as one of the steps to lure foreign investors would only harm the economy of the poor.

Foreign investment in the capital market does give much support to the creation of job opportunities, whereas the low-wage policy does not foster the development of the real sector, but lessens the purchasing power of the economically-weak community, he pointed out.

He also criticised the government's policy on the imposition of low import tax to open import opportunities. He proposed the rescheduling of Indonesia's foreign debts to avoid the elimination of fuel subsidy, and cited the need to strengthen the national industry and to ban speculation from the trade of commodities.